A Minute With…Todd Halford
David Speakman
Tuesday February 21, 2006
In August of 2005 he and he band of traveling warriors dubbed Team Xtreme followed Xplorers all the way Bossier City to watch them humble a past subject of this column and the Louisville Fire. I drank from the cup with him and watched as he and his cronies celebrated with the team they love. He knows a repeat will be difficult but he hopes to be in Bossier City once more drinking from that same cup with that same feeling of satisfaction that only comes from a job well done. I caught up with him again the other day to find out what makes the man behind the paint tick.
David Speakman: You attended 13 games in 2005, how much coin did you drop in the process?
Todd Halford: Wow. I guess around $200 per home game not including tickets which I purchased prior to the season. Anywhere between $400 and $500 for a road game when I stay the night. I figure around $1000 for the Arena Cup trip with food, drinks, more drinks, merchandise, even more drinks, and hotel.
David Speakman: Mr. President, you were recently elected president of Team Extreme. How much of your time goes into making all this happen? The web site, the meetings, the money, the trips. Seems like a full time job.
Todd Halford: We usually meet once a month in the evenings for 3 or 4 hours. We eat and drink and review club business. Once a month is not an inconvenience. I spend around 3 hours a day on the computer reviewing the message boards and reading all the information I can find regarding the league. I update the Website about once a week unless something important happens then it may be two or three times. I send a reminder out to all the members if there is information they should know.
David Speakman: The fan club has been around since 2003, any advice for others on how they can play an important role in their team?
Todd Halford: First of all, you must be at the games. It does no good to say that you are a fan while you are sitting at home. Secondly, spread the word about your team. Talk about the game to coworkers and friends, relatives, and even the guy at the gas station. Take someone to a game. Promise them that if they don’t enjoy the game you will refund their ticket price. Bottom line is get people to a game show them what a great sports experience it can be.
David Speakman: Have you run into any hostilities while attending games on the road?
Todd Halford: Amazingly, no. I cannot recall a single road game in which the fans were hostile to us. On the flip side, our booster club has an excellent relationship with the Storm Trackers of the Arkansas Twisters. Before games at Arkansas, we tailgate WITH them. The Trackers even came up to Memphis in 2005 and cheered on the Xplorers for a playoff game between the Xmen and RGV..
David Speakman: During the games some not nice things are directed toward the playing field. Have you ever been able to get in the head of an opposing teams player?
Todd Halford: Absolutely. That’s my job. If I yell at a player and he looks at me or makes some kind of "gesture" then, I’ve got him. I had one player (who shall remain nameless because I don’t know if he is playing this year) come up to me after a game and personally tell me that no one had ever yelled at him like I did. He said I really got into his head. Job done.
David Speakman: The Xplorers had a few tough seasons leading up to last year. How sweet was the winning it all for the entire organization and it’s fans?
Todd Halford: It was better than your favorite NFL team winning the Super Bowl. Why do you ask? Simply because I know these players. I know their mom’s and their girlfriends. We spend a lot of time with these guys and really consider them to be friends. They aren’t just a number and a stat sheet to us. They are family.
David Speakman: Tennessee Valley Vipers are back. Would you consider them to be your biggest rival?
Todd Halford: I don’t like them at all, but they are going to have to prove a few things before I even give them the satisfaction of calling them a rival. As far as I am concerned right now, they are just another "expansion team". And you know what Memphis does with new teams. Memphis 3 – Amarillo 0.
David Speakman: When you enter the arena, women and children can be seen running and screaming. Is there anything you would like to tell them about yourself that might soften their view of you?
Todd Halford: That’s pretty funny. I do get quite a few odd looks. My best advice is get out of my way; I have a job to do. Talk to me after the game.
David Speakman: What if anything would you change about the af2?
Todd Halford: Number one, pay these guys more. It’s hard to chase a dream on $200 a week. Number two, I would like to see the drop kick brought back. It’s a lost art. Steven Green is the only kicker I have seen complete this task with any accuracy.
Finally, I want more media coverage. A two line score snippet in the local paper just doesn’t cut it.
Look for Halford at an arena near you or gracing the af2 chat boards with his sometimes abrasive, but always witty posts. Visit Team Xtreme at www.therealteamxtreme.homestead.com
David Speakman lives in Roswell, GA. He is the owner of Speakman Collectibles and is an inline hockey player/coach/ref when he isn't chasing down an interview. Speakman Collectibles is the exclusive manufacturer of arenafootball2 helmet collectibles. Big Game, Little Helmets.
